A/N: Rumbelle fic, takes place while Belle is at the Dark Castle (in the episode Skin Deep). One-shot, rated M for smut.

I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time.

A month, she thought. A month and it's still dreadful in this horrible place. Belle, standing on a wooden ladder, was tugging on curtains that did not seem to want to budge. Rumpelstiltskin was keeping her imprisoned in the Dark Castle, and if she was to spend the rest of eternity here, she had to let some light into the place. The room was dark, as heavy fabric covered every source of light. A large, ebony table stood in the middle of the room; it was large enough to seat thirty, but Belle doubted that it had ever served more than one. On one end of the room, a large, glass-faced cabinet stood, holding china, a tea set, and treasures of all sorts. The room was decorated in elegant red and gold, and despite all this, there was still an overbearing sense of dread throughout the place.

She glanced toward Rumpelstiltskin, who was spinning a rather large pile of gold on his spinning wheel. He had been keeping her captive in this place, under the guise of needing a caretaker. She had struck a deal with him. He would save her kingdom in exchange for an eternity of servitude. Her father resented her decision – to be indentured to this "beast." But, it had been a month and she hadn't been killed – perhaps he was not the monster her family and the townspeople made him out to be.

"Why do you spin so much?" Belle's pulling at the curtains seemed to be in vain – she let the thick, opaque fabric fall from between her fingers. "Sorry, it's just – you've spun straw into more gold than you could ever spend."

Lost in his work, Rumpelstiltskin replied, "I like to watch the wheel." He felt the rough, splintered wood turn under his fingers, feeding more straw into the wheel; his work put him in something not unlike a trance. "It helps me forget." His pain was constant, yet he had never shared this with anyone. To him, it was a sign of weakness. The pain of what he had lost, he could never forget. Yet, the idle work of spinning straw into gold was a sort of anesthetic; it ever so slightly soothed the pain of the beloved son he had lost.

Belle's expression softened at these words. He was finally letting her in, letting her see the man behind the monster. "Forget what?"

Rumpel shook himself out of his daze. He had let his guard down; he had revealed more than he had ever shown to anyone since Bae left. "I guess it worked!" he said with a high pitched giggle.

Chuckling, Belle returned to her task of attempting to let the light come through the window, but to no avail. Her master rose from his spinning wheel to observe her strange behavior. "What are you doing?" he said, smiling to himself at her actions.

"Opening these!" Belle searched for a drawstring, a rope, or anything to help her move the heavy, worn curtains. "It's almost spring. We should let some light in."

Watching her, Rumpelstiltskin felt something change within himself; it was a feeling he hadn't felt since before Milah began spending her nights at the bar. Or perhaps he hadn't ever experienced such a feeling before? It was a feeling so intense yet so foreign; he did not know whether to embrace it or be repulsed by it.

"What did you do, nail them down?" Belle was still persisting in the task she was so set to complete.

"Yes," Rumpel said casually. Belle turned and smiled the most beautiful smile. It was then Rumpel knew that he had never felt this way before – it was a feeling that engrossed him, that threatened to swallow him whole. It was an ache in his chest – not the ache of emptiness, however. No, it was the ache of a heart so full – the ache of a heart that was in love.

Belle gave a rather strong tug at the blinds, which came crashing down with Belle still holding on. Her stomach dropped as she braced herself for the impact, but it never came. No, she had been caught by her master, by the man who imprisoned her here at this castle. Cradled in his arms, he was looking at her in such a way she had never been looked at before. No one, not even Gaston, had looked at her with a look as soft and intimate as Rumpel's was. He was not a monster. There was no trace of this beast they call "the Dark One." She was laying in the arms of a man – a man capable of loving with his heart and his soul.

Belle, still cradled in his arms, cautiously and with measured movement angled her chin up toward Rumpelstiltskin's face. Slowly, gently, she touched her lips to his shimmering lips. Tentatively, as if she were entering an unknown land, she ran her tongue along his bottom lip, teasing him with a touch so pure and so innocent, yet so strong. She pulled back and opened her eyes. Rumpel was still staring at her with the look of true love, but there was something else in his eyes. Astonishment. Surprise. Hunger.

Rumpelstiltskin, still cradling his love, brought her to the grand table in the center of the hall and set her atop its cold, wooden surface. Holding her face between his green-gold hands, he kissed her again. Carefully at first, but then more feverishly; the desire within him could no longer be denied. Parting her lips with his tongue, he explored every inch of her as if he would never get another chance. He kissed her with the longing intensity of a man accustomed to abandonment.

Resting on the deep ebony surface of the table, Belle wrapped her arms around the man standing in front of her, entwining her pale fingers in his disheveled hair. She pressed her mouth harder onto his – she wanted to taste him, to feel him in her mouth. She could feel her desire for him growing; the moistness between her legs was aching for him. Outlined in his tight leather pants, Belle could see that this desire was mutual; Rumpel's arousal for Belle was clearly evident.

He ran his hand down her back, sending a shudder throughout her body. Moaning in pleasure and anticipation, she arched her back and tilted her head toward the ceiling, reveling in the feeling of his hands on her. His lips found her neck, sending a chill down her spine and amplifying the ache between her legs. She pushed her body flush against his and wrapped her legs around his waist. She needed to feel him between her legs, she yearned for him to fill the emptiness inside of her.

She reached for the gilded button fastening his pants, but Rumpelstiltskin jumped back at her touch. It had been centuries since he had felt a woman's touch in that way. "Belle, what are you doing?" he asked. He made no effort to hide his surprise; his shock was written across his face as if it were a page in a book.

"Make love to me, Rumpel," Belle replied curtly. Rumplestiltskin's face twisted into an expression of agony and despair; he turned away from his love so she could not see the loss in his eyes.

"No. What could make you want to be deflowered by me? You could not possibly love a monster."

Belle slid off the table and went to stand in front of him. Looking deep into his eyes, weary from centuries of suffering, she said "This much is true. But I see no monsters here."

He dropped his eyes to the floor, determined not to let Belle see the pain hiding within them. He considered her proposition. There was no denying that to have Belle in that way, to make her truly his, was what he desired more than anything else in all of the realms. But part of him desired to protect her, to watch over her and kill anyone that threatened to harm her. This part of him could not possibly let her be taken by something as horrible as he.

Softly, Belle spoke. "I love you, Rumpelstiltskin."

With these words, Rumpel raised his eyes to meet hers. Belle's eyes were a shining blue, bluer than the waters of the magic lake. But her normally pure and innocent eyes were overcome by something else – the look of wild, uninhibited desire. "And I love you too, Belle." Ignoring the searing pain emanating from his leg – one of the few ailments magic could not cure – Rumpelstiltskin picked up his love in the same manner that she had fallen into his arms only moments before. "Not here," he said in response to the confused look upon Belle's face. He carried her up the twisting staircase and through the large double doors, which Belle had been forbidden to enter.

The room was grander than anything Belle had seen in any castle, not even her father's. Golden treasures littered the room, and upon a golden frame rested a large bed dressed in elegant scarlet linens. Rumpelstiltskin laid Belle gently upon it. "My love," he cooed, "you do not have to do this. This was not part of our deal."

"I care not about this deal of ours. I love you, Rumpelstiltskin, and I would not dream of leaving you, regardless of whether this deal had been struck."

Hearing these words drove Rumpelstiltskin into a frenzied state. Pushing Belle back onto the plush surface of the bed, he lay beside her and covered her mouth with his. She tasted sweet, of purity and innocence. His erection throbbed with desire as he began placing kisses along Belle's neck and collarbone, reveling in the sound of her moans. She writhed beneath him as he continued kissing, lower and lower, while he unbuttoned her blouse. He worked each button in a passion-fueled fever, and he opened her blouse to reveal her perfect, smooth breasts. Moaning with desire, he took one nipple into his mouth, gently caressing it with his tongue. Belle gasped in pleasure as he gently worked her other breast with his hand, with a touch gentler than he thought he was capable.

Rumpelstiltskin worked his way back up her bare torso and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, cradling her beautiful face. He paused to stare deeply into her eyes, reveling in the look of pure love in Belle's eyes. Belle ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth back onto hers, longing to feel his tongue gently teasing the inside of her mouth. She unbuttoned his shirt and, with his help, slid it off of his arms, revealing the beautiful, glimmering surface of his skin. His muscles were sculpted by the magic that coursed through his veins. To most, he was terrible, but to Belle, he was beautiful. She ran her fingers along the lines carved by his muscles, then pulled him down so that his bare skin was flush against hers. The heat emanating from his rough skin was electrifying, and she could feel his hard length crushing against her hip. Belle reached down and began unfastening the button on Rumpel's pants, this time met with no resistance. Gently, she slid them off of his legs, freeing his hardness. Belle took the length of him in her hands, stroking gently, and Rumpelstiltskin gave a guttural moan. It felt so much better to be touched by a woman than he remembered, perhaps because for the first time, he was being touched by someone that truly loved him.

Gently, Rumpel pushed Belle back down onto the bed, planting a gently kiss between her bare breasts. Working his way down with a trail of gentle kisses, Rumpelstiltskin began working to remove Belle's skirt. Slowly, he slid her skirt and undergarments down her legs, revealing the smooth virgin skin that had been hidden beneath. He placed a finger on her thigh, so close to her aching center, and she flinched. She had never felt a man's touch in her most intimate areas.

"Be calm, my love," Rumpelstiltskin cooed. Desiring to feel every inch of her body, he slid his finger between her folds and felt the wetness that was for him. "I will not hurt you, Belle."

With these kind words, Belle allowed herself to relax and enjoy the sensations of pleasure that she had not yet experienced. Rumple slid a finger into her entrance, and Belle squirmed in ecstasy, releasing a loud moan. Aroused by this sound, Rumpelstiltskin yearned to taste her. He parted her legs with a gentle touch and kissed her swollen lower lips. Belle arched her back in this newfound pleasure, engulfed by the sensation she was experiencing. A loud moan escaped her lips – she could not hide her arousal from Rumpelstiltskin. He was reveling in the taste of the wetness he had caused, flicking his tongue over her most sensitive spot. He slid a finger into her tight, soft entrance while working the small bundle of nerves with his tongue, and she began writhing beneath him. She placed her hand on his head, urging him to continue as she was hit with an orgasm greater than anything she could have imagined. "Rumpelstiltskin," she moaned, riding out the waves of pleasure she was experiencing.

She pulled Rumpelstiltskin up so she was under him again, their naked bodies pressed together and his erection pressed against her stomach. She rolled so she was on top of him, straddling him. She kissed him hard on the mouth, crushing her lips against his. She could taste herself on his lips; aroused by this, she could feel the wetness between her legs yearning for Rumpelstiltskin's hard length to be thrust into her. Breaking the passionate kiss, she turned onto her back and parted her legs. She took his face in her hands, feeling the rough, stubbly skin beneath her soft, smooth fingers, and looked him in the eyes. "Take me," she said.

Following her cue, he positioned himself between her legs, his throbbing erection poking at her opening. He paused to look into Belle's eyes, and seeing the desire in them, placed a gentle kiss on her lips as he gently slid into her.

The feeling was incredible, better than he could have imagined. This beautiful woman, his true love, was lying beneath him writhing with the pleasure that he was bringing to her. She was so soft, so tight, so wet. He laid still, waiting for Belle's virgin entrance to adjust to him. When she raised her hips to meet him, he began gently thrusting into her, lost in the sensation of their bodies intertwined. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, which became more frenzied in time with his thrusting. He was pushing himself into her, lost in the feeling, longing for release.

Belle looked up at him with wide, hungry eyes. "More," she said, in an animalistic growl. "Harder. Please," she begged. Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her legs beneath the knees, pulling them toward her chest and allowing himself to enter her more deeply. A satisfied moan escaped Belle's lips as she grinded her hips against Rumpel's. He thrust his whole length into her, again and again, losing himself in the soft tightness of her body.

Not wanting the moment to be over so soon, Rumpelstiltskin pulled himself from within Belle. She gasped, surprised by the emptiness that was left, yearning for it to be filled once more. Rumpelstiltskin rolled onto his back and guided Belle so that she was once again straddling him. He guided himself into her once more, grunting with the jolt of pure pleasure it brought him.

Shyly, Belle began to move on top of Rumpelstiltskin, exploring the new sensations that came from this change of position. Her movements grew more feverish, and she began grinding herself against him. With wide eyes he stared at this beautiful woman that was on top of him, watching the way her full breasts bounced with every movement. He sat up slightly to take one of her breasts, as smooth as silk, into his mouth. Flicking his tongue over her nipple, Belle grinded her hips into him harder and arched her back in pleasure. Rumpelstiltskin moved his hand to between her legs and rubbed her most tender spot while she writhed on top of him in pleasure.

Before he could allow her release, Rumpel picked her up and, still inside of her, flipped her over so that she was on her back once more. He thrust into her with such fervor, moving faster and faster and eliciting loud moans from his love. She began writhing beneath him as her orgasm exploded through her body. He felt her inner muscles clenching around his erection, and with this he spilled his release into her, enjoying every wave of pleasure that hit him.

Belle cupped his face between her hands and pulled him down for a long, gentle kiss, which was so different from the passionate tangle they had been in only seconds before. Rumpelstiltskin slid out of Belle, both of them satisfied, and laid beside her.

"I love you, Rumpelstiltskin," Belle said, staring into his deep, forest-green eyes.

"And I love you, Belle," he replied. Belle closed her eyes, exhausted from the passionate love-making. She rested her head on his bare chest, leaving Rumpel in awe of her perfect form. He had let her in. He had let her see the depths of himself he tried so hard to keep hidden from the world; these were the parts of him that drove those dearest to him away. Belle was the only one that knew him fully, that had seen every part of him.

Belle laid against him, content and happy with the man, not the monster, with whom she shared the bed.

Rumpelstiltskin lay with her quietly, stroking her beautiful brown hair, and pondering how long it would take for her to realize what he is and abandon him, as everyone he cared for had done before.